OK, I know it’s like “O.M.G LATE!” (Haahaha!) but I just watched “Istanbul, Aku Datang” or loosely translated as ‘Istanbul, Here I Come’!! These couple of days been devoting myself with part-time write ups, preparing schematic answers & translation (The “English For Workplace Communication”) and was in a hurry to reach the dateline. So, just now after I finished doing them and before resume to another recent translation task that I have just receive on a paperwork entitled “Gelagat Pembahagian Harta Pusaka Dalam Kalangan Orang Melayu : Cabaran Untuk Perubahan” (I will be translating it from Malay to English! I am SO EXCITED!); I thought of killing time watching the romantic flick.

Produced by a joint-venture of Grand Brilliance & Red Films, it was the same team that brought “Gol & Gincu” to live.I love “Gol & Gincu” because it was the first honest urban movie depicting the raw life of teenagers in the era. The dialogues were natural (and the pioneer of the “jumbling-up-between-Malay-and-English” dialogue which are abundant in Malay dramas NOW) and the evolution of the characters were heart-whelming.Now, what about “Istanbul, Aku Datang”?

The story basically is about a young lady named Dian who flew all the way from Malaysia to Istanbul, Turkey just to convince her boyfriend, Azad who was studying medical there into marrying her. When she arrived there, she was initially excited with the prospect of living with the boyfriend but was forced to find a new residence as it wasn’t a Malay customary for unmarried couple to be seen living together. Now, just as she thought she already secured a house of her own in Istanbul, she just learned that she was duped! There was another person renting the same house; a GUY named Harris from Malaysia as well! Conflicts and comedies arose when two different characters fueled with prejudices collided!

Lisa Surihani was doing alright as Dian, the ala bimbo lady (more like a brunette bimbo) who does anything to get her man but she was not convincing enough as a bimbo because Lisa Surihani is known for being an intelligent person. I don’t know; I just don’t feel she is convincing as a bimbo. Beto Khusyairi as Harris is cool; his comic timing and chemistry with Lisa Surihani was somewhat adorable and “sparks-fly”; since this is Beto’s first romantic foray (I am not sure because not really an ardent Malay drama), I think he did OK. Tomok was doing fine as the boyfriend, Azad but quite static and statue-esque.Aizat as an actor? Nay, sorry. I love him as a singer but perhaps he was nervous or what; but he ain’t an actor material in that flick.

The wardrobe was very tantalizing. I love the way the designer sketched and arranged for the actors; they seemed very vibrant and naturally-sophisticated; if not exaggerating. The designer had the touch in mix-and-match the urban style and you can see from Dian’s character. NEVERTHELESS, the bit where you can’t hold hands or hug because of being in an “Islam country” was a bit exaggerating, I think. I don’t think they should have even said that in dialogue because Turkish are even more PDA (Public-display-attention) than Malaysians, for sure! They are, after all the country that is of both in Europe & Asia! Totally, a NAY.

The sweet time. I want to find the “picnic with Turkish family” scene but I couldn’t find.

So, what’s the magic of “Istanbul, Aku Datang” if the casts aren’t marvelous? I would say THE SCRIPT and THE CINEMATOGRAPHY! Rafidah Abdullah certainly had that magical touch and Bernard Chauly directed beautifully; I love the advertisement-quality of the shots and the sequences were shot artistically. And which scenes really steal my heart? I would say the part where Dian & Harris spent time with a Turkish family having picnic and rode motorbike around Istanbul!That’s for me is the epitome of the raw Istanbul and romantically-emanating. I know it’s quite late to rate; but I give 3.5 stars outta 5; and in this war, “Gol & Gincu” favours over “Istanbul, Aku Datang.”

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And yes, Istanbul! Wait for me! I will come…one day, Insya ALLAH! (,”)